Facts on Bilingual Language Development

Margaret H. Briggs, PhD, CCC-SLP
Board Certified Specialist in Child Language
Executive Director

We regularly get questions about the advantages and disadvantages of exposing children to more than one language. The literature in typical language development as well as that examining children with language delays is quite clear: there are no disadvantages to exposing children to more than one language. In fact, there is mounting evidence that bilingualism offers children an advantage.

Does learning two languages at home confuse children trying to learn English?

Children, as with so many other areas of development, are amazingly adaptable. They can be exposed to two (or more) languages without any apparent confusion. Some evidence suggests that initially expressive vocabulary development may be slightly delayed. However children raised in a bilingual environment quickly catch up.

We expect children by 18 months to have an expressive vocabulary of about 50 words. Those words could be in just one language (for instance Chinese) or in both languages (30 words in Chinese and 20 in English). By 2 years, we expect children to begin combining words into short phrases. Again these phrases may all be in one language (for instance all in Spanish) or some in one language and some in the other (some phrases are in Spanish while some are in English).

For children who are delayed in developing one language, does exposure to another language cause that delay?

No. Typically children who experience delays in developing language are delayed in any language. Most parents report to us that if their child is delayed in English, they notice a similar delay in any other languages to which their child is exposed.

If my child is delayed, should I stop speaking more than one language at home?

No. There is no research evidence to suggest that children, even those who are delayed, cannot learn to understand and speak more than one language. So you do not need to stop speaking another language besides English at home.

Families regularly tell us that if their child is delayed in learning to talk they are advised to stop speaking another language at home. This advice, although it may seem logical, is not valid. Family members (and other caregivers) should continue to speak the language that they are most comfortable using (e.g., their “mother tongue”). People who are not fluent English speakers will not be able to provide the consistent language model to your child and will be trying to communicate in an unnatural way. So if Grandmother’s native language is Armenian, then she should be advised to continue speaking to your child in Armenian. If your caregiver speaks Japanese, then have her continue to speak her native language to your child. This will not have any negative impact on your child’s developing communication skills.

We’ve also been told that different family members should choose one language only to speak. Is this true?

Again there is no research evidence that “compartmentalizing” (e.g., Mom only speaks English, Dad speaks Russian, and babysitter speaks Spanish) offers any advantage to children. In fact, this practice tends to set up an awkward and unnatural communication environment. Most bilingual individuals easily and effortlessly “code switch,” moving from one language to another almost unconsciously. So asking a bilingual speaker to avoid code switching makes for an artificial speaking situation.

But what if my child has a developmental disorder, not just a language delay?

The same advice applies. Although not as large a body of literature, there is still evidence that children with disorders such as Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorders can be exposed to different languages, can learn to differentiate among those languages, and become bilingual—in the same way as children who are developing typically. Bilingualism is an attainable goal for all children and should be encouraged, not discouraged, by professionals.

Are there any advantages for children in learning more than one language?

Definitely. There are the obvious advantages of children maintaining their connection to the culture, language, practices, and beliefs of their family. Despite the fact that children have to learn the majority language (English) to be successful, there are many reasons that having proficiency in another language will benefit them as well. We live in a pluralistic society. Speaking languages in addition to English increases our enjoyment, improves cross-cultural understanding, and improves our ability to compete in a global economy.

There is also research now indicating that children who are able to become bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate tend to be more successful academically and have social advantages when compared to their monolingual peers. Children with language, learning, or developmental disorders can also benefit from bilingual educational programs just like their typically developing peers.

Which language is best for therapy?

For children exposed to more than one language at home, they should ideally have treatment in both (or all) languages. I say “ideally” because there are not enough speech-language pathologists who speak languages other than English. Translators can be used. We have successfully incorporated family members and caregivers to help us in treatment. Our goal in treatment is not necessarily to learn the English language, but to learn language.

What are some resources for further reading?

www.briggsandassociates.com for links to other websites such as The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Hanen Centre.

Fierro-Cobas, V., & Chan, E. (2001). Language development in bilingual children: A primer for pediatricians. Contemporary Pediatrics, 7.

Restrepo, M. A. (2005). The case for bilingual intervention for typical and atypical language learners. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, 12, 13-16.

Thordardottir, E. (2005). Language intervention from a bilingual mindset. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, 12, 17-21.

© M. H. Briggs, PhD, 8/05

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